Summers on the Fed, Aramco Evolution, Future of AI, Themed Entertainment Industry
This week, Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers on the recent Fed decision and the economic implications of uncertainty in the Middle East. And, how is Saudi giant Aramco diversifying in a tech-driven world? Plus, an interview with Robinhood's Vlad Tenev on artificial intelligence solutions for nuanced needs. Later, Netflix is entering the themed entertainment business with Netflix House, further intensifying its competition with traditional media players. (Source: Bloomberg)
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Elle
28 minutes ago
- Elle
'I Have Zero Straight Men In My Life': Emily Ratajkowski Enters Her Free Era
Photographs by Morgan Maher, Styling by Natasha Wray Emily Ratajkowski might be your favourite woman's favourite woman. You just know a night out with her would be a blast. She can toggle from Joan Didion and political discourse to reality TV and TikTok memes, high fashion and handbags – you're going to have a good time. Indeed, women are at the centre of Ratajowski's universe right now. 'Not centring men is really wonderful,' she tells me. 'In general, in our world, men have somehow filed this space, but what I found instead of it is community.' The 34-year-old model, actor and author of the bestselling essay collection My Body – is sitting in front of a beautifully curated bookshelf in the New York apartment she shares with her four-year-old son Sly. On her T-shirt is an R Crumb illustration of a hairy, naked woman with large breasts doing a handstand. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE 'I still like men,' she adds. 'I just have zero straight men in my life, unless they're a romantic interest. In the hierarchy of needs, that's at the top of the pyramid, which is nice. [Men are] pleasure and fun, but not a part of my core. The rest of my life is community with other women and queer people, and being a mom.' Having dinner and drinks with these women – one of them being the model and actor Adwoa Aboah – is among her favourite things to do. 'It's so fun to talk sh*t with my friends,' she says, laughing. The pair are going on holiday together this summer and, yes, 'it'll be brat' (Charli xcx is another good friend). Morgan Maher Emily Ratajkowski wears top, £1,100 and shorts, £1,980, both PRADA Aboah and Ratajkowski also appear in this summer's most- anticipated TV show, Lena Dunham's new Netflix series Too Much .Ratajkowski plays Wendy, the model/influencer rebound girlfriend of the lead's ex-boyfriend. It's the first series Dunham has writtenand directed since the iconic Girls ended in 2017, and stars Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe as made-for-each-other lovers navigating the various pressures of their thirties. The hilarious script, brilliant performances from a cast that includes Andrew Rannels, Richard E Grant and Naomi Watts and Dunham's zeitgeisty grip on the neuroses of a generation are sure to make it a huge summer hit. 'Lena leans in to some of the more 'feminine' ways of directing – over communication, consideration of everyone on set. Instead of being this domineering presence, her power lies in grace and in the ability to make everyone feel comfortable,' explains Ratajkowski, who has been friends with Dunham for more than a decade. They met when Ratajkowski first shot to fame after appearing in a Robin Thicke music video, which she later described as a pretty horrific experience: 'I didn't have any real power as the naked girl dancing around,' she wrote in the essay 'Blurred Lines', which was part of her book. 'I was nothing more than the hired mannequin.' Dunham, she tells me, was a welcoming and understanding ally, 'when no one really was, to be honest'. They went on to share drafts of their books and give each other notes. Now, 'it's a really beautiful friendship'. Dunham wrote the part especially for her friend, so Ratajkowski really couldn't turn it down, which is something she often does these days. 'I don't agree to a lot of offers,' she says. It's because she's busy writing and parenting. But also, she adds: 'I really value control. In my twenties, I didn't have a lot of it in my career. Now, I like making things and I like not being an addition to them. With Lena, I got to shape the character so much, which was really fun. It gave me a bigger role than just an actor for hire.' Morgan Maher Top, £1,380, and shorts, £1,010, both PRADA The show resonated for Ratajkowski as it explores the tension between the growing confidence and perennial sense of WTF that is so prevalent in one's thirties. 'I'm fascinated with this decade of my life,' she tells me. 'My mom had me at 39, and I remember she always romanticised her thirties as a time of self-exploration and power as a woman. I'm in the midst of it and really feel that way too.' We discuss how, in your twenties, you might think, 'Yeah, I want this', but have no concept of time, because you haven't lived enough. But now, being 34, she can remember what 24 was like. 'I know exactly what 10 years feels like, and what consequences are.' Now, she says, she understands how she can shape the next period. 'You can't control everything, but you can move towards something to give yourself the life you want, which really excites me, because when I think about 34 to 44, I'm like, 'Oh man, there's so much opportunity.' I can be so much more intentional than I was in my twenties and there won't be, like, accidents.' Morgan Maher Dress, £4,300, PRADA Ratajkowski might be a successful polymath today (starring in films such as Gone Girl , being the face of Marc Jacobs' new handbags and writing feminist polemics), but when she was younger she was 'ashamed of being a jack of all trades, and really wanted to be the person who was really excellent at one thing'. Her parents were intellectuals, and after they moved from London, where she was born, to California, she recalls her artist father having a studio that was as big as their house, and her mother, a writer and professor, creating an entire reading curriculum for her from the age of five. 'I don't think my parents ever pushed me in a certain direction. We're not religious people, so what we talked about was our stories, and politics. My dad would bring his paintings in when he was done, and we'd look at them and discuss them. And I was included in that.' Morgan Maher Hat, £1,100, PRADA. Earrings, Ratajkowski's own Talking to me about her own son, whom she had with her former husband, the producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, she says all she wants is for him to be good at critical thinking. 'I don't have any idea what he should do with his life. I think it's great when you're interested in making things and working with creative people. I want to give him that gift, but if he decides that there's something that's more fulfilling to him, that's wonderful.' It's incredible to think that Ratajkowski was only 10 years older than her son is now when she was scouted and signed to Ford Models. Her parents were supportive, eventually, enjoying the financial security and the glamour it offered, but they were no doubt thrilled their only daughter later pivoted into acting and, later, writing. She's at a good point with her writing, she says, a year and a half on from 'being in the misery of it'. After dropping Sly off at school, if she doesn't have a car picking her up to take her to a shoot, she'll return home to write and edit all day. Morgan Maher Cardigan, £1,610, and shorts, £690, both PRADA 'I used to be somebody who would write in bed and on my phone – basically anything to make it seem as if I wasn't feeling pressure. Now, I actually really enjoy the ritual of sitting down and being like, 'We're getting to work.'' Writing is, she tells me, what's getting her through this moment in American politics. 'I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about [writing], so it definitely provides a welcome distraction and focus. I hate when people, celebrities specifically, are like, 'I'm just really just focusing on my own life right now.' It's what we all do to survive [the sense that you have no control over nightmarish global politics] but, listen, the world could end tomorrow. It is important to really enjoy your life and take care of the people that you're close to.' She relates heavily to a recent piece in The New Yorker by Jia Tolentino titled 'My Brain Finally Broke'. (Ratajkowski admits she is 'chronically online', and if there's a viral long-form feature, you can bet she's read it.) In the article, Tolentino explains that 'much of what we see now is fake, and the reality we face is full of horrors. More and more of the world is slipping beyond my comprehension'. 'I'm so overwhelmed by the state of the world,' Ratajkowski says. 'It's really hard. I used to feel slightly ashamed by that. But I think there's something important in just being like, 'I'm not really totally sure what to do.'' Morgan Maher She says that 'every year I've become more and more left-wing, which is great because I think that in college there's this idea that you're going to become more conservative as you get older. But between Joe Biden and now Trump, I just feel more connected to [the left]. Basically, there's no confusion for me.' She describes the last four years of American politics as 'being asleep at the wheel'. 'With Biden,' she says, 'people were like, 'He's left-wing enough and he's not crazy. He looks like what a president should look like.' He said the right things, and I think that a lot of people backed off being politically engaged. Now, we're in a state of shock in the US, because just the first hundred days [of the Trump administration] have been this unbelievable news cycle.' She points to the demonisation of transgender people and says: 'I can't believe what's happening when it comes to trans people in this country. It's terrifying. I have friends who are parents of trans kids, and they're thinking about Canada, they're thinking about moving. I have friends who've travelled internationally and been questioned, and have had their IDs changed. I don't care about gender, other than as a personal expression. So it's really hard for me to understand this thinking and the desire to control people. But the personal is political.' Morgan Maher Jacket, £2,650, trousers, £1,150, and bag, £4,150, all PRADA So, for Ratajkowski, is fashion. She becomes visibly animated, perhaps more so than she has been throughout the entire call, leaning towards the camera, her eyes darting mischievously. 'It's a little bit of a walk to my son's school now, so I can't wear heeled shoes,' she tells me. 'But, when I was in the city, we lived two blocks from his preschool, and I would often just leave for work from there. At that point I was hosting my filmed podcast, so I would be in an outfit.' How did that go down with the other parents, I wonder. 'Oh, I was definitely dressed up compared to them. I think that's actually one of the ways I really enjoy being subversive with motherhood. There's so much around what a mom should look like.' Morgan Maher Shirt, £1,610, PRADA She believes that people who are really concerned with how they come off as a parent maybe aren't always necessarily focused enough on how they actually are. 'I know what kind of mom I am, and I only deeply care about my son's reaction to that. Anybody else who has opinions about me as a mother because of the way I dress – it's just so inconsequential.' I picture Ratajkowski dropping her son off at preschool this morning, wearing a fabulously explicit piece of art on her T-shirt, before tossing her beautiful hair over her shoulders, checking her phone, filming some hot takes and then heading home to write a feminist critique. 'I don't know, maybe it's getting older. Maybe it's motherhood, but it just is what it is,' she says, shrugging. And does she care about what other people think, I ask. 'No,' she answers. 'I don't think I do.' HAIR: Hos Hounkpatin at The Wall Group. MAKE-UP: Emi Kaneko at Bryant Artists. NAILS: Maki Sakamoto at The Wall Group. STYLIST'S ASSISTANTS: Gal Klein and Kenny Paul. ON-SET PRODUCTION: Gigi Guldas Morgan Maher This interview can be found in the July/August issue - available on newsstands now. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE . The Audacity Of Emily Ratajkowski Lotte Jeffs Lotte Jeffs is the author of five books and their debut novel This Love, about the power of queer friendship, is out now.
Cosmopolitan
36 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Where is Victoria Kalina now?
If you're anything like us, you've been busy this week watching America's Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The second season of the Netflix docuseries follows another cohort of rookies as they compete to make the cut for a coveted position on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad. And, yep, there's some major drama as the competition gets increasingly cut throat. This series saw some amazing character arcs (we'll forever root for Dayton!) but fans of the show might have been missing a certain someone from season we're talking about Ms Victoria Kalina. So, what has Victoria been up to since season one? And where is she now? We get into it below... Victoria Kalina is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who was featured on the first season of America's Sweethearts. She first tried out in 2018, but didn't make the cut. She then joined the squad in 2019, but took a hiatus in the 2021 - 2022 season to cope with her mental health. Before appearing on America's Sweethearts, she was featured in seasons 13, 14 and 15 of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, a show which aired from 2006 to 2021. In total, she spent four years on the squad and followed in the footsteps of her mother, also a former DCC, who was even friends with the DCC director Kelli Finglass. Throughout the show, she was outspoken about her experiences with depression and disordered eating. She emerged as a fan favourite in season one, however, the show saw her walk away and avoid re-auditioning for another year. Cheerleaders can only be a part of the group for a maximum of five years and, ahead of trying out for her final year, Victoria spoke with Kelly and DCC choreographer Judy Trammell about whether she might expect to occupy a leadership position in the squad. However, the duo indicated that this would be unlikely, leading Victoria to not re-audition. Since leaving the show, Victoria has opened up about the difficult decision to Us Weekly. 'In the meeting, y'all saw five minutes of it, but it was an hour and a half. It was what everybody else saw on Netflix, just longer. Since I wasn't hearing what I wanted to hear, I ultimately was going like, 'Well I'm just gonna hang it up on no now.' But I never wanna make a rash decision. I wanted to sit on it. I wanted to get my mom's opinion. And after talking about it with her, she was like, 'No.' As a fifth year going into auditions, I felt like my place on the team was threatened. As a fifth year — I know leadership is not guaranteed — but you wanna go in like feeling cloud nine [so] you can lead these other teammates.' She continued: 'Anyone in any career position, having four years under your belt, you wanna see where you're going, you wanna see growth. So I just decided to put my time and energy elsewhere.' In an interview with The Cut following her departure from the DCC squad, Victoria shared that she was preparing the audition for the Rockettes, a legendary Radio City dance squad. She revealed on Instagram in April 2025 that she was sadly not cast as a Rockette, writing: "This year is a 'not now' for the Rockettes but I can't wait to continue to push this next year and continue to see what other spectacular things unravel in this magical city". Speaking to The Cut last year, Victoria shared that she was teaching private and group dance classes and had moved to New York City. She still appears to be living in NYC and has a robust social media following (499,000 TikTok followers and 461,000 Instagram followers). On her social channels she posts dance videos, and seems to have a particular soft spot for the discography of fellow dance queen Tate McRae. America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is available on Netflix now
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Weekend: Markets on edge as Trump ponders US involvement in Israel-Iran war
The fighting continued to rage in the Middle East this week as Israel intensified its attack on Iran's nuclear capabilities. As European foreign ministers met with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva in an attempt to end hostilities, investors were on tenterhooks about the possibility of the US becoming directly involved. The threat of American intervention was met with outrage in Tehran, with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying such a move would cause "irreparable damage" President Donald Trump has promised a decision on whether to join the assault on Iran within the next two weeks. On Friday he cast doubt over the European diplomacy effort, declaring: "Europe is not going to be able to help on this one." Oil prices continued to climb as traders weighed the likelihood of Iran attacking its Gulf neighbours' production and export facilities or even closing the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global supply flows. Motorists are likely to feel the pinch at the petrol pump in the coming weeks. Away from the Middle East bloodshed, investors were focused on two crucial central bank rates decisions. Both held no surprises in the end, with the Bank of England holding its key rate at 4.25% and the Federal Reserve standing pat too. BoE governor Andrew Bailey said the world had become 'highly unpredictable' after a decision that was also heavily influenced by stubbornly high inflation. Finally, Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu sketched out his case for "Remaking Liberalism" – also the working title of his forthcoming book – in a speech on Wednesday at the London School of Economics. Acemoglu, the joint winner of of 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, told a packed auditorium that the old version of liberalism was "dead" as the ideas space was being won by those on the right. "I have become convinced over the last decade that liberalism's enormous successes are being overshadowed by some problems," said the MIT professor. Let's take a deeper dive in to some of the main talking points of the last few days. UK consumers braced for petrol price hikes Oil prices have surged over the past week as Iran and Israel continued to attack each other with missile strikes. Concerns are mounting of a disruption to supply, particularly to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a separating Iran and Oman described as an "oil artery". Tom Pugh, a partner at consultancy firm RSM UK, said the main way escalating Middle East tensions would impact UK businesses and the economy "is through higher oil and natural gas prices". "The most immediate impact will be on prices at the pump," Pugh said. "A $10pb rise in oil prices will probably result in a 5p increase in pump prices over the next couple of months." Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.25% amid inflation fears Members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted by 6-3 to keep borrowing costs on hold after cutting them a month ago. The decision had been widely anticipated by markets, particularly following inflation data for May showing prices rising 3.4% — well above the Bank's 2% target. Investors and economists saw little chance of a rate cut, especially with tensions in the Middle East escalating and pushing oil prices higher. Traders are betting there is an 84% chance that policymakers will cut to 4% at the next meeting. Why the UK's AIM is struggling 30 years on Launched on 19 June 1995, AIM was set up to help smaller and high-growth companies get more access to capital. While it has produced a number of successes, it has also had its fair share of failures. These included "cash shell" Langbar International, which claimed to have £370m in bank deposits but collapsed in 2005 after discovering these funds were non-existent. Another high-profile example was the collapse of cafe chain Patisserie Valerie in 2019 on the back of an accounting scandal. Such disasters led to AIM often being described as the "Wild West". Its troubles are far from over, as dozens of companies representing £12.3bn plan to leave the junior market, shrinking AIM is set to shrink by 20%. The oil chokepoint Iran could threaten — but probably won't For decades, strategists have fixated on the channel linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and open waters. The narrow Strait of Hormuz carries about 20% of the world's petroleum and seaborne natural gas shipments, making it the world's single most important passageway for fossil fuel. Iranian is once again threatening to block energy shipments through the strait when involved in some kind of conflict. Such a move would roil energy markets, easily pushing crude prices above $100. But it would also be extremely risky for Iran. "It will be one of the central factors as the US considers whether to join Israel in attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities," Dan Marks of the British think tank RUSI said. Nobel laureate calls for a 'working-class liberalism' In a talk that formed part of the LSE Festival: Visions for the Future, professor Daron Acemoglu said that despite its enormous past success, he's become convinced that the old version of liberalism is dead and needs remaking. Delving into the history and the development of the moral and political philosophy that underpins liberalism, he said it has played a crucial role as a force of good, mostly delivered via a democratic state. "This may come as a shock to some of you, but my view is that right now, new ideas are coming not from the liberal side, but they're coming from the anti-liberal, the right," the best-selling joint-author of 2012's Why Nations Fail, told an enthralled audience. Pension credit is a benefit that aims to boost the incomes of the poorest pensioners. The problem is that, despite government efforts to raise awareness, hundreds of thousands of people who could be claiming it aren't. It not only tops up your income but acts as a valuable bridge to further support, including help with council tax and NHS costs. Pensions columnist Helen Morrissey explained: This under-claimed benefit could help boost your pension Before opening a junior ISA for their child, many parents find themselves wondering – perhaps understandably – how they can be sure they will use the money wisely when they turn 18 and assume control of the funds. The good news is a survey by Hargreaves Lansdown strongly suggests such worries are unfounded. Personal finance columnist Sarah Coles has the details: Why you can trust an 18-year old with their junior ISA Find more personal finance gems here The week will start with the focus on S&P's global manufacturing and services PMI. Despite a slight uptick in May, the reading showed the UK manufacturing sector continued to face tough operating conditions. Economists expect anoter very slight increase in June. Tuesday will see two important speeches from central bank chiefs, in the forms of Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde. The focus turns stateside on Thursday with a slew of data ranging from home sales to jobless claims. The UK will release quarterly GDP data on Friday, with economists expecting the rate of growth to slow to 0.3% from the first quarter's 0.7%. On the companies front, investors will be looking at Nike's (NKE) latest results for any commentary on how tariff uncertainty is impacting the sportswear giant. In the tech space, BlackBerry (BB) is due to report, having warned of uncertainty going into the current financial year. Chipmaker Micron (MU) is also set to release its latest earnings off the back of recently announcing increased investment in its US operations. On the London market, the focus will be on Babcock International's (BAB.L) full-year results, with the company's shares having rallied this year on expectations of more government spending on defence. Another FTSE 100 (^FTSE) stock in the spotlight will be distribution company Bunzl, which is due to update on trading, following a challenging start to its financial year. Read more: Stocks to watch next week Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
